Geoege w



(No Model.)

G. W. WILSON.

GAR COUPLING.

N0.36'7,944. S PatentedAug.9,1887. v

INVENTOR wmg ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. WVILSON, OF LANESBOROUGH, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF, HELMER O. SCHELBERG, AND OSCAR J. ALL, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

.CAR-COUPLING.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,9 t4pdated August 9, 1887.

Application filed March 21, 1887. Serial No. 231,691. (1\'o model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WILsoN, of Lanesborough, in the county of Fillmore and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Gar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive coupling by which cars may be coupled automatically as they come together, and without requiring the train-men to stand between the cars and expose themselves to injury.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations ofparts of the car-coupling, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalelevation of the end parts of two cars provided with the improved couplings,andindicates the positions of the parts as the coupling is about to be effected. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one drawhead, illustrating the action of the couplinglink holding-block or adjuster. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the draw-head and coupling-link.

Fig. 4 is a plan view in horizontal section on the line :0 ac, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front view of the draw-head with the coupling-link in section, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thecoupling-pin.

The draw-head A is provided with a socket, B, in which the coupling-pin 0, link D, and link holder or adjuster E operate, as presently described. The coupling-pin passes through a hole or slot, F, in the top of the draw-head, and into or through a hole or slot, G, in the bottom of the draw-head. The floor of the socketB slopes or is rounded outward and downward at b from a point, I), back of which the floor of the socket standsabout level to allow the back end of the link-adjusting block E'to rest fairly on it when the link is not in the draw-head, and,as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, while the upturned front lower surface, 6, of the block E is directly above the sloping surface b of the link-socket floor, a flaring opening thus being provided between the faces I) and e for the entrance of the link D, which in passing fully into the socket B lifts the outer end of the block E, which bears onto the upper surface of the link, the upper surface of the block E then rising to or toward the upper flaring wall or roof of the link-socket. The block E is held in the socket B bya pin, H, which passes through a vertically-ranging hole in'the drawhead and throughan aperture, 6, in the block, 6 and is too far back to be struck and injured by the link when the faces of opposing drawheads meet in coupling the cars. The block E is provided with a slot, e ,(see Fig. 4,) giving room for the passage of the coupling-pin 6 0 through it. By pushing the coupling-link into the-draw-head of one car more or less the bloc E will support the link in true horizontal position, or at a greater or less incline therefrom, and hold the link so that its outer end will stand at proper height to enter the draw-head socket of an opposing car, .the link being held where set by the gravity of the block. The link may thus be adjusted higher or lower at its outer end by simply forcing it in more or less beneath the block E, and the link need not be otherwise held, hence the train-1nen are not required to go between the cars to hold up the link while coupling the cars.

The coupling-pin O has a peculiar form, on which much of the efficiency of this invention depends.

The head I of the couplingrpin has or may have a lug perforated at z for connection of a 85 chain or cord (not shown) leading to the. top ofthe carfor raising the pin therefrom for uncoupling, and at the base of the head side shoulders, J, are provided to limit the fall of the'pin by contact with the top of the draw- 0 head. The back edge of the pin from the shoulders J downward to near the point of the pin is concaved lengthwise at K, and the rear lower part, L, of the pin is rounded over forward to cause it to easily slide up the inclined 9 5 face or back wall, 5/, of the lower pin-slot, G. From its extremity or point M the front edge of the coupling-pin ranges upward and out ward in a eomparatively-straight line at N to an elbow or boss, 0, which projects quite a little from a line drawn through the center of the pin-head and the point of the pin, and from the elbow O the front edge of the pin is curved gradually backward and upward at 1 to the pin-head I.

A lug, R, formed on top of the draw-head at its front, is preferably cut away at the rear face to form a guide to the parts P O of the coupling-pin as it is lifted, and a lower projection or guide-lug, S, is preferably formed on top of the draw-head behind the pin-hole F thereof. The coupling-pin is rounded over at its front and rear edges and tapers flatwise or sidewise a little toward its point M, which is preferably rounded laterally to facilitate entrance of the pin into the lower hole, 1 ol' the draw-head. The body of the pin is made narrow or fiat from side to side and fits the sides of the upper hole, 1 loosely, but so as to prevent the bodilyturning 0f the pin in the drawhead and always hold its projection or elbow O and overhanging front edge, N, toward the front of the link-socket.

The operation is as follows: The inner end of the coupling-link D, held by the pin 0 of one draw-hcad, will be set beneath the block E to hold its outer end at the required height to enter the opposing d raw-hea(lsay the lefthand one in Fig. 1 of the drawingsand as the link enters between the curved faces I) c of the link socket I3 and block 15 and strikes the front edge, N, of the pin 0 of said left-hand coupling said pin will be forced against the inclined rear wall, 5 of the lower pin-hole, G, and the pin will be lifted quite easily, the concavcd rear edge, K, of the pin allowing it to be forced bacluvard by contact of the parts I? O of the pin with the front end of the upper pi nhole, F, and the lug It. The overhanging front edge, N, of the pin facilitates the lifting of the pin by the link. As the end of the link passes under and behind the point M of the pin 0, the pin will fall through the link and couple the cars. As the couplingpin rises and falls, the lugs RS on the draw-head prevent excessive forward and back ward rocking of the point of the pin to facilitate its safe entrance into the lower hole, G, of the draw-head. To nncouple the cars, it is only necessary to withdraw either one of the coupling-pins until the link may escape the point of the pin as the ears are drawn apart.

It will be seen that when the coupling-pin is fully down its eoncaved rear edge, K, gives a good draft-hold for the link, and the projection or elbow O at the front of the pin then stands out below and in front of the forward end of the pin-hole F, thereby preventing the pin from jumping upward out of the link when the draft is applied to the cars.

The draw-head may be cast cheaply in one piece, and the pin will preferably be made of cast or wrought steel, and the link may be of the ordinary form. The coupling has very few and no delicate parts-such as springsand the action in coupling is entirely automatic and does not require the train-men to stand between the cars and expose themselves to injury.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw head having a link socket, 13, formed with the sloping front-floor portion, 1), and having a vertical pin, H, at its inner end, of alink holding and adjustingblock,E,having a vertical aperture in its inner end of greater diameter than the said pin to allow the said inner end to move vertically on the pin, and having a curved lower front face, 0, opposite face 11 of the link-socket, substantially as set forth.

2. Acarcouplingeomprisingthedraw-head A, provided with the link-socket I; I), the upper opening, F, the lower opening, G, having the inclined rear wall, 9, the vertical pin II at the inner end of the socket, vertically-slotted block E, having an enlarged aperture at its inner end,th rough which pin H passes to allow the block vertical movement thereon, and the coupling-pin I, lraving the concave rear edge terminating in the rounded lower portion, L, and the overhanging forward e('lge,N,snbst:n1- t-ially as set forth.

The coupling-pin I, having the supporting-shoulders .I .I, the concave rear edge, K, thelower rounded rear edge,IJ, the overhanging forward edge, N, the upper receding front edge portion, 1, and the intermediate elbow, O, substantially as set forth.

at. In a caireoupling, the draw-head A, provided with a link-socket, B, coupling-pin holes F G, said hole G having an inclined rear wall, 9, in combination with a coupling-pimO,

formed with an overhanging front edge portion,N,a.nd receding upper front edge portion, P, forming aprojeetion or elbow, 0, at the front of the pin, and said pin also lutving a concaved upper rear edge portion, K, and lower rounded. rear edge portion, I1, substan tially as herein set forth.

GEORGE \V. \VILSON. \Vi tn esses:

l3. I'll-smut, A. G. CHAPMAN. 

